# explosion vs explosive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### explosion
*noun · IPA /ɪkˈspləʊ.ʒən/ · frequency rank #4,944*
A violent release of energy (sometimes mechanical, nuclear, or chemical); an act or instance of exploding.

### explosive
*adjective · IPA /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/ · frequency rank #7,444*
Able to, or likely to, explode.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/explosion-vs-explosive